The Interim: Life Starts when You're Together
by ValarSpawn
Summary: After Lines Between Flesh & Steel. The Orden has been defeated and Maria and Tres are an official couple. But Life isn't Utopia, and will continue, regardless of the State of Man.
1. Prologue: Igne Natura Renovatur Integra

**The Interim/Life Begins When You're Together**

**Plot: Maria and Tres are together, the Orden has been defeated, and for the moment peace reigns on Earth. So far no problems, right? As usual, life is not utopia and it will continue regardless of the conditions surrounding Man.**

**Disclaimer: Trinity Blood belongs to the Trinity Blood Partners Yoshida Sunao, Kyujo Kiyo and Shibamoto Thores. The only thing I own is the plot and any original characters not mentioned in the series.**

**Author's Note 1: "Interim" takes place after "The Lines Between Flesh & Steel", so the first thing you'll read is the prologue/epilogue of the first fic.**

Prologue: Igne Natura Renovatur Integra

She wondered whether she would be able to calm down. The fight was long since over, but Maria wanted more. There was still adrenaline rushing through her. It had to go somewhere! "I strongly insist you rest now, Sister Maria."

She looked up from her trembling hands and towards Tres, who was sitting on a chair beside the bed. After a few seconds, the young woman offered him a smile. "I do wish you'd address me on first-name terms when we're alone, Father Tres." The response was delayed slightly. "…At least once more, Sister Maria."

She did not say anything, examining him. Neither of them had come out of the battle unscathed. Tres had taken injuries in various parts of his body, and was wearing a metal-plated bracelet that had quickly encased the aforementioned injuries in wires and metal, giving the Gunslinger the appearance of a half-completed android. Most of this was covered by the white terry-cloth robe he wore.

It had taken Maria considerable effort not to think lecherous thoughts; that robe was the only article of clothing the Gunslinger was wearing. "Is it uncomfortable?" He raised a metal-encased hand to his ear, absentmindedly toying with the Claddagh earring hanging from it. "Negative. It does not hinder my movements nor does it cause irritation."

Pause. "You would do well to rest, Maria."

"…I can't. I still want to fight."

"That course of action is obsolete. You yourself made it that way." She gazed at him, knowing the Gunslinger was in the right.

_After all…Life's not a video game. _

_The skies had flashed with multi-colored lightning. Even as he fought the man whose codename was "Marionettenspieler", a small part of Tres really just wished he could sit back and watch the incredible lightshow that was being unknowingly created by the three Crusniks battling in the firmaments._ _It would only improve once Seth Knightlord joined the fray. It seemed that his opponent also shared his opinion, as Dietrich had paused to stare up at the sky above._

"_Better than fireworks, don't you think? And yet they appear mostly ignorant of the beauty they themselves create."_ _Tres looked up briefly, drinking in the sight of flashing lights in the clouded sky above Tel-Megiddo._ "_Perhaps they know, deep down."_ _Dietrich Von Lohengrin smiled as nearly imperceptible strings appeared to unravel from his fingers and fly towards the Gunslinger._

"_Perhaps."_ _And just like that, the battle began anew._

Tres stood up from the chair and pulled the covers back. Before Maria could object as a draft hit her bare legs he had picked her up in his arms, bridal style, and carried the young female Crusnik to the small bathroom in the infirmary room. Once inside, the Gunslinger set her down on the counter. "What are you doing?" Maria managed to inquire once she recovered from the sudden shock of being moved from one location to the other without consent.

"…Your hair is a mess." As Tres spoke he picked up the brush lying on the counter and began brushing her hair. "Oh." As the minutes dragged on, she felt him part her hair into sections and begin braiding it. "What do you suppose happens now, Tres?"

He stopped for a moment, thinking of a suitable answer. She counted down to thirty before he answered her question. "I was under the impression that we would now begin a new life, Maria…Together." Pause. "Or is there some change in plan of which I was not informed?"

Maria turned to face him wordlessly, but by then he had seized the chance to capture her lips, effectively rendering her mute. As they kissed, Maria couldn't stop a smile from worming its way into her features. _"__By flames shall the earth be reborn."_

End Prologue


	2. Act I: Dragon's Volant

Act I: Dragon's Volant (A Night for Sea Shanties)

"_The King and his men  
Stole the Queen from her bed  
And bound in her Bones.  
The Seas be ours and by the powers,  
Where we will, we'll roam…"_

Maria sang the haunting melody in a quiet tone as she picked at the locks in the shackles. So far, the plan was going well; she had managed to get captured by the pirating outfit known as Dragon's Volant. Once rivals to the pirate outfit Le Cirque Bleu, they mainly dealt with the manufacturing of the blood supplements Methuselah used to stave off their thirst for Terran blood. With their rivals gone, courtesy of the AX, Dragon's Volant had become bolder in their capture of humans from passenger vessels. It got to the point that the AX was forced to step in.

Initially, Maria had been sent alone to infiltrate Dragon's Volant as a captive. From what she had observed, the vessel used by Dragon's Volant was much larger than Le Cirque Bleu's, most of its storage used to store supplies or prisoners.

"_Yo ho—all hands  
Hoist the colours high.  
Heave ho—thieves and beggars  
Never shall we die…"_

One shackle clattered silently to the floor as she went to work on the other one. Once both shackles were on the floor, she unlocked the door to her cell before replacing the hairpin on her hair. It had not been the first time the Dhampir-Crusnik broke out of her cell, although the other occasions had been for reconnaissance purposes; tonight she meant to make her move and oust Dragon's Volant.

It was a quiet night, and the skies were devoid of cloud. The moons were on the wane simultaneously this year. High in the heavens, cloaked by the dark pitch of the night, was the _Iron Maiden II_, stealthily stalking the vessel that was the pride of Dragon's Volant. Even from their current height, meant to obscure the white shape that was the _Iron Maiden II_, Tres could see the ship, with a clarity that might have been accessible to him by day.

"_Some are dead and some are alive  
Others sail on the sea.  
With the keys to the cage  
And the Devil to pay--  
We lay to Fiddler's Green."_

The vessel, named _Fafnir_, was modeled after a Viking ship but possessed the same characteristics as any pirate ship. No doubt it was also propelled by powerful high-technology engines that he could not see because they were hidden by the dark water. Silently, the Gunslinger stood ready, and poised to act. Maria was down there, after all; while capable of looking after herself she would need backup if she was the only agent onboard the _Fafnir_.

"Sister Kate."

He heard static on his earpiece. "Has something happened, Father Tres?"

"Negative. But activate Stealth Mode and start the descent."

"Activating Stealth Mode…" The occupants of the _Iron Maiden II_ could still see their ship. Anyone else would not have seen anything.

_"The bell has been raised  
from it's watery grave...  
Do you hear it's sepulchral tone?  
a call to all,pay head the squall  
and turn your sail toward home!"_

Inside the _Fafnir_, Maria was hard at work, tinkering with the machines and instruments utilized to create the Water of Life. While she herself relied on it—Maria was a Dhampir after all—Dragon's Volant's was still an illegal operation, unsanctioned by the Tzara Methuselite. She soon tired of it and destroyed the machines outright, leaving them irreparable. The young woman was finishing up just as a few crew members walked in, prisoners in tow.

A moment seemed to stretch into silence as both parties looked upon one another.

Finally, three of them rushed at her while the other two stayed with the prisoners. Blade's growing out of the back of her wrists, Maria countered her attackers aiming for vital targets on the body. Better that these Methuselah die at her hands than face the torture devices of the Inquisition Department. Upon disposing of her attackers, Maria turned on the latter two. One engaged her in combat and died; the other shoved the prisoners—two children, a boy and a girl—at her before running off to sound the alarm.

_I don't have much time…I must take this fight elsewhere, away from the prisoners._ She addressed them in a soothing tone, placing her hands on their shoulders. "Listen, I want you guys to return to your cells, and stay there. Right now, those pirates are going to be wanting a fight and I can't afford to worry about you and all these other people. If anything, I can draw them away and fight someplace of my choosing." She took one of the twin hairpins and gave it to the girl. "You can use this to pick the lock. Now, off with you." Both children nodded and ran back towards their cell. Smirking, Maria began to ascend the upper levels, taking the fight to the main deck.

Meanwhile, Tres stood on the platform, keeping a vigil on the ship. A slight widening of his eyes was the only reaction. "Sister Kate, dive faster. I am positive that Maria will need us quite soon."

On the main deck she found herself surrounded by the majority of the crew. They were rough men, brandishing all manner of weapons, some even bearing improvised prosthetic limbs. She watched as one of them stepped forward. He was the most cultured-looking of the bunch, dressed in a suit. "I take it you're the captain?"

His smile showed off his fangs and he pushed back a lock of blue hair, a lighter shade than the rest of his shoulder-length hair. It brought Tsuchiya Ruka from Shoujo Kakumei Utena™ to mind. "And what's it to you if I am, pretty stray?" Maria stretched out a hand, her claymore-length snake blade materializing in her hand. "Capt. Ilias Seneslav of the good ship _Fafnir_, you are now under arrest by authority of the AX. Come quietly or face no quarter from me."

Ilias laughed, his thick Romanian accent becoming more prominent in his voice. "You really believe you can take us on one-handed. We outnumber you three to one!" A wide grin graced the Dhampir's features as the vessel was engulfed in shadow.

"Who said I was alone?"

It was then that the men became aware of the white shape hovering above the _Fafnir_…and the darker figure dropping from it.

The newcomer landed heavily onto the deck, causing the floorboards to splinter but hold his weight. Unlike Maria, who had been dressed in civilian clothes, Hercules Tres Iqus was clad in the official black uniform for AX priests. He was already grasping his _"Dies Irae" Jericho M13_s, the largest personal handgun in the world. "For your sake, Maria, I hope you were not planning to take them on by yourself." There was a hint of scolding to his voice.

Maria merely shrugged it off, unfazed by it. "With you around? Perish the thought." That said, Maria flicked her wrist and the snake blade extended forward, wrapping around two pirates and leaving them in pieces, unable to use their regenerative abilities.

And thus, the slaughter, by guns and sword, began.

End Act I: Dragon's Volant (A Night for Sea Shanties)

**Author's Note: The inspiration for this chapter is owed to PoTC III and the second act in Volume VI of the Toribura manga. I really liked "The Center of Blue Storm" and wondered: "What if Le Cirque Bleu had rivals?" The inspiration for the appearance of their ship was influenced by the movie Beowulf and the Organization's name was taken from the title of a short story in J. Sheridan Le Fanu's _In a Glass Darkly_ called "The Room in the _Dragon Volant_."**

**Thus ends my post-script note and now I must bid you...**

**READ! AND REVIEW! It's okay if they're long, that's how I like them!**


	3. Act II: Mission's End

Act II: Mission's End (The Waiting)

"What else could I expect from my fosterling except efficient work?" Caterina Sforza murmured softly, gazing upon the holographic figure of Sister Kate Scott as the latter gave an oral report of Maria's mission. "Are the prisoners accounted for?" The hologram trembled slightly. "Yes…According to the ship's log, the crew was planning on capturing several more before killing them to manufacture the Water of Life."

The cardinal pushed back a golden curl that had fallen across her face before placing her gloved hands on her lap. "I see." Pause. "And where is she right now?" The Woman of Steel inquired, even though she felt she would know the answer.

"Sister Maria is currently with Father Tres right now, sleeping last I checked on them. Shall I wake her for you?" The Duchess of Milan removed her monocle and began wiping the lens gently with a soft cloth. "It is alright, Sister Kate. Though Maria loves me dearly, I doubt she would want to leave his side right now. So leave them be."

A pause as she inspected the monocle before replacing it. "In any case, that shall be all, Sister Kate. You are dismissed." The holographic image faded away and Caterina turned to look out the window behind her. Sunlight shone through the windows and she could hear the trilling of birdsong. "I suppose…a walk and the fine weather will do me good." She muttered to herself, standing up from her chair and walking out of her office.

Back in the _Iron Maiden II_, Maria and Tres were on one of the beds in the ship's sick bay. Eyes closed, Maria was resting part of her upper body on Tres' chest and lap; the rest of her lay between his legs, her arms circling his waist. For his part, the Gunslinger leaned his back against the bed rest, one arm slung about her shoulders, appearing to sleep.

Due to his systems, Tres required no sleep but he did not object to watching Maria sleep. Her expressions and countenance became less guarded, the facial features softer. There were occasions she would kick out rapidly before becoming still as statues; other times a smile graced her face, either a satisfied twitch of the lips or a grin of a lecherous nature.

In the eyes of the Gunslinger, she was a wonder.

Stroking her hair, Tres reflected on his life right now. After the Orden's defeat on Tel-Megiddo, what members of the dark organization remained alive went into hiding. According to the reports of the Boyars sent to scout the battlefield, one had reported seeing a tall man with a dark mane, clutching a container. They had pursued the man but the stranger outran them and eventually vanished, seemingly enough, into his own shadow. That was not the most disturbing detail, however.

The man had been sighted near the crash site where Cain Knightlord fell to his death.

While they were still searching, it was as if he had never been, leaving behind all the enigma of a UFO in his wake. On happier news, Tres and Maria were officially a couple. On a side note, both were still adjusting to that fact. Tres was naïve to the intimate interactions and dynamics between lovers while Maria seemed stumped on where to proceed from their present state. Since a relationship of this nature was a first for both, it was to be expected.

"_I was under the impression we were to begin a new life…together."_

Tres lifted his gaze to the ceiling, his blank gaze unusually thoughtful. In the meantime, Maria slept. And dreamed.

In the Vatican, William and Gepetto were at work, each wrapped up in their own business like geniuses tend to be. While Gepetto was drawing out plans for some automaton or other—the details William received were vague—William Walter Wordsworth was studying the photographs taken by the cameras stationed in the AX's training area. In particularly he was studying the photographs of the targets that had been subjected to the fiery projectiles thrown by Maria when she used her Ifrit abilities. He believed he had discovered something extra to the flames. First, there was the color.

The Albion professor was unsure whether the color of flames for each Methuselah that fell under the Ifrit classification varied per individual or if they were all the same—Ifrit didn't grow on trees, after all. The color of Maria's flame, though, was silver. And wherever those projectiles struck there had always been a silvery residue in their wake. In light of this observation, William had formulated a theory: there was an additional chemical along with the naphenate glycerin that Ifrit needed to produce fire that gave Maria's fire its hue and the residue it left on the surfaces it burnt. "Hmm…What do you think, Gep?"

The _scritch-scratch_ of the pen and pencil stopped. "About what, friend?" The Albion professor cleaned out his pipe, stuffed it with new leaves and lit it with a match that he threw in the wastebasket behind him. "I have a theory to put to you, old friend." Gepetto Garibaldi leaned back on his chair. "I am listening."

Puffing on the pipe, William then explained the theory. When he finished, Gepetto removed his glasses and began cleaning the lenses. "It could be…one of two things. First, it could be her individual color; this one is very likely because Tres has described to me the color of her wings in her Crusnik form: gray, but they shine with an uncommon luster that makes them a dull silver." Pause.

"However, it could also go the second way: some additional chemical along with the naphenate glycerin that she produces when using her Ifrit abilities has caused the flames to be a silver color, not unlike fireworks." A second pause. "In either case, we won't know which holds true until she is back from her assignment."

"Considering she's on the _Iron Maiden II_, we shall not have to wait very long my friend."

And thus it was that on both sides people waited. One side waited to return home, while the other waited for loved ones to return.

End Act II: Mission's End (The Waiting)

**Author's Note: And here you have chapter 2 of the fic. Anyone who's read the novels and mangas will notice that I've been reading the Iblis arc, which is where they mention Ifrit-classified vampires and how they produce their fire. I added a little something of my own, which is the extra chemical theory.**

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	4. Act III: Homecoming

Act III: Homecoming

By the time of the Matins Bell, the Iron Maiden II had touched upon Vatican airspace and landed in the airfield. Tres and Maria quickly vacated the ship, Maria once again clad in the black AX uniform. No elaborate crucifix hung from her neck, as she still hadn't changed her mind about her beliefs. They were walking at a fast pace, if not a dead run. The Dhampir suspected Tres would probably call a cab the moment they left the airport.

It wasn't surprising however; she was all too well acquainted with the Gunslinger's reason. _After all, while it is me he holds dear to his heart, it is Caterina—and her interests—he protects with his life. _True, she was one of those interests, but it was just detail. And while she was still in this thought stream, Maria admitted to herself that she also missed the Woman of Steel. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by the Killing Doll.

"A contemplative silence. Status report, Maria?" Sigh. "I was only thinking of home. Home and Her Eminence." There was no response; he understood what Maria meant. Still, just so she knew their thoughts ran on the same wavelength, he took her hand and squeezed it gently.

His gesture was rewarded with a gentle smile and the Gunslinger felt his heart apparatus beat faster. By the time they entered the Vatican proper, the sky was clearer and the halls were bustling with people leaving the chapel after the service. It would be at this time that the Vatican elite would start business over breakfast; she had had to do it herself, after all. Maria let those thoughts go and focused on walking.

The two AX officials mingled amongst the bustling clergy as though they had never left and continued walking to their intended destination: Caterina Sforza's office. Caterina had been poring over paperwork, being kept company by Vaclav Havel, Abel Nightroad, William Walter Wordsworth and Kate Scott. She had become so engrossed in her work that she flinched at the familiar gasp—the kind that shouted IMPROPRIETY. "Your Eminence! Why are you still in your nightgown!?"

Caterina's left eye twitched, causing her monocle to fall as she lifted her head to regard the newcomers. "Is that the only thing you can say to your mother after coming back from your mission?" Maria did not delay her response. "I walk in to find Her Eminence still in her nightdress and with strange men in the room. And you seem incredibly relaxed today, so one tends to wonder as to your business…"

Another eye twitch. "Well, it is not what you think, dear one." Pause. "Besides, I am quite certain that Tres has seen you in your nightdress more times than is appropriate." Maria's visage flushed red. "T-That's different!"

At this Caterina let out a musical-sounding laugh and beckoned to her. "All this aside, welcome back, both of you." After having tea and breakfast (Maria had not eaten since her arrival in Rome), as well as catching up with Caterina, Maria left the woman to her work, walking alongside Father Wordsworth and Father Garibaldi. The two men had approached her once she and Caterina finished their tea and had asked Maria for her assistance in an experiment.

"We will require you to tap into your Ifrit abilities. However, there are to be no flames." Maria frowned at this. "Why no flames?" Gepetto Garibaldi cleared his throat. "In truth, Sister Maria, what we really want is a sample of the naphenate glycerin that fuels the flames." Pause. "We have a theory concerning it and we want to test that theory."

The Dhampir shrugged her shoulders. "Why didn't you say so sooner? Okay, I'll help you with your theory." They continued walking towards the laboratory shared by the two geniuses. Once there, she saw that they had already prepared for the undertaking. In a way Maria looked forward to it, as it would be a challenge not to spark flames while doing this. Jacket removed and sleeves rolled up, Maria got to work.

The heat radiating from her body caused the air to shimmer in her vicinity but her hands and wrists did not catch fire and the two men managed to scrape enough of the mixture to collect it in a jar. The shimmering of the air stopped. "What now?" She asked, watching them curiously. "Now," William began, stowing the jar away. "We will analyze the substance. As we have other things to do, it will be some time before you hear from us. You are free to leave, if you wish."

Maria nodded and unrolled her sleeves before donning her coat and walking out of the lab. Tres had just been dismissed by Caterina when Maria caught up to him. Without hesitation she curled her arm around his own. The android made no move to shake her off, gazing at her from the corner of his eye to indicate she had his attention.

Smiling, Maria leaned in and whispered into his ear. When she drew back, Tres stopped, facing her as he took her hand. "I have not been assigned any tasks this evening, Maria; of course we can go out into the city." Inwardly, Maria wished he wasn't so stiff. _But he is new at this…Give him time to adjust._

The level-headed mental voice told her. _I'll do my best…_ The Dhampir nodded. "Good. When will be a good time?" Tres consulted his watch. "Would seven-thirty suffice, Maria?"

He watched as the girl went over the question, practically visualizing the wires, gears and bio-technological mesh that comprised Maria's mind frame. In his imagery he could see the mental processes finalize, and come to a stop. The Dhampir smiled.

"It's a date, then."

End Act III: Homecoming


End file.
